2018 started with a hat-trick of prestigious awards in Paris, Brussels and Milan for Mazda’s engineering innovation and ground breaking design.

Skyactiv-X, the world’s first commercial compression-ignition petrol engine, has won the Quattroruote Global Tech Award for the most significant technological innovation of the year at the event in Milan, Italy.

In Paris, the Mazda Vision Coupe was crowned Most Beautiful Concept Car of the Year at the 2018 Festival Automobile International.

At the 2018 Brussels Motor Show, Skyactiv-X received the FuturAuto 2018 Trophy for Automotive Innovation, chosen by the Association of Belgian Motoring and Mobility Journalists (UJBAM)

Kiyoshi Fujiwara, director and senior executive officer at Mazda Motor Corporation, said:

“We believe that the Skyactiv-X will open the door to accomplishing our dream of a petrol engine as energy efficient as a diesel engine and with a diesel’s prompt accelerator response, but as linear and quiet as a petrol unit and with a level of efficiency approaching ideal internal combustion. I am very proud of our engineers. These awards are a great encouragement to all of us and encourage us to continue enhancing our efforts so that this innovative technology can reach our customers with the highest level of quality.”

Kevin Rice, director, Design at Mazda Motor Europe, said: “Ever since we unveiled the Vision Coupe, the latest development of our KODO Soul of Motion design philosophy at the Tokyo Motor Show, we have been overwhelmed with the response. To receive such a prestigious award in Paris, plus the awards in Milan and Brussels that recognise our engineering innovation, is an amazing start to 2018.”